Indians Ready to Take Next Step

Indians Ready to Take Next Step

 

Last season the Cleveland Indians hired Terry Francona and made a splash by winning 92 games and clinching a Wild Card berth. They were shut out by Tampa but showed all signs that they wouldn’t be a one year wonder. This year, not only will they make the playoffs again but they will unseat the Detroit Tigers as the AL Central winners.

Justin Masterson will try to follow up his solid 2013 season with an even better 2014 campaign. Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar will continue to grow and realize their potential. Not only that but I see this tandem being the key to the season for Cleveland. They will make the difference in a wild card spot or a division crown. The one potential weakness I see for the Indians is John Axford closing out games. If he is the John Axford that lost his closing job in Milwaukee to Jim Henderson then Cleveland will have to come up with a better solution because he cannot cost them too many games when fighting with the Tigers.

Offensively this team will go as Jason Kipnis goes. After a very good 2013 season Kipnis is the #1 candidate to make the leap this year and cement his status as a franchise cornerstone and MVP candidate. Putting Yan Gomes and his far superior defensive and receiving skills behind the plate in place of Carlos Santana will do wonders for this pitching staff over a full season. Santana has been playing third base this spring with the hope that he can be the long term solution due to Lonnie Chisenhall showing he is not. I personally don’t see that happening and see Santana as the permanent DH and backup first baseman when Nick Swisher needs a spell. Jason Giambi is back this season and I see his role being a DH against righties when Santana plays first and mostly being the power bat off the bench late in games.

Asdrubal Cabrera will start the season at shortstop but with top prospect Francisco Lindor rising through the ranks rapidly he will not end the season there. Cleveland needs to look into a trade and get back some very good talent to keep them atop the division for years to come. Both New York teams are in need of shortstops and could come knocking on the Indians door.

We will be back tomorrow with a look at the National League favorite Los Angeles Dodgers. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

The New Meaning of Padres is Average

The New Meaning of Padres is Average

 

 

When looking over the San Diego Padres roster I can’t help but think it screams average and mediocre. There are no superstars on this team and no players that really jump off the page at you and make you think they can have a big impact. Being in a division with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and an almost assuredly improved Giants team will make things tough as well. 

On the pitching side of things this team is helped out tremendously by Petco Park and its dimensions. The top of the rotation is headed by two good pitchers in Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy, and a third who can have a huge impact if he stays healthy. However, we all know asking Josh Johnson to stay healthy is like asking Arnold Schwarzenegger to master the English language. If it hasn’t happened by now it never will.

Offensively this is a group of B+ talent. Nothing wrong with B+ and it certainly can get the job done but without a few A’s and A+’s you won’t have much to show for it in the end. They won’t hit many home runs or score a ton of runs, but hey if you watch their games at least you get to listen to Dick Enberg.

Unfortunately there isn’t much to say about this team, positive or negative. They are a run of the mill, 4th place team in the NL West. The second wild card may give them some hope for part of the season but there’s just too much superior competition that will eventually pull away.

We will be back later today with a look at Chief Wahoo’s Indians and their ability to overtake Detroit in the Central. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

Joe Maddon and His Outside the Box Thinking Always Give Tampa a Ray of Hope

Joe Maddon and His Outside the Box Thinking Always Give Tampa a Ray of Hope

 

 

 

The Tampa Bay Rays are no longer a laughing stock of Major League Baseball. Their stadium may still be but the team is not. Since taking over in 2005 Joe Maddon has changed the culture of the clubhouse with his strategical thinking and out of the box analysis. The Rays made the World Series in 2008 and since then have gone on to average 91 wins a season which is remarkable considering the payroll they have to work with. If there was ever a man who gets praised for pushing the right buttons and getting the most out of his players its Maddon.

From organizing theme road trips, to bringing DJs and magicians into the clubhouse, to looking for loopholes in the replay system, Maddon does not see or approach the game like all others. This spring he is preaching during workouts for his guys to always run out plays and take the extra base anyway because if a replay were to reverse a call they could be awarded that extra base. Every little bit helps and Maddon knows this. As good as Tampa’s roster is, there’s no telling where they would be without Maddon.

Speaking of that roster, it is a pretty good one from top to bottom, although the bench is lacking some but that’s something that can be taken care of on the fly throughout the season. Starting pitching depth, a good bullpen, a top closer, and a starting offense that can go to battle with the best lineups in the game is all that Tampa can boast about, and the best manager in the game as well.

Evan Longoria is the face of the team and as long as he can stay healthy he will produce big numbers. The Rays traded away Jose Lobaton, but picked up one of the better defensive catchers and one of the best pitch framers in the game in Ryan Hanigan. Whatever Hanigan can give them offensively is a bonus, he knows and the fans know he’s there for his defense. James Loney is back after a great season last year. His career was resurrected by Maddon and he will look to continue that pace once again.

More important than all of those guys though is the one player who will be crucial to Tampa’s success. He is young but he has all the talent in the world. As he goes, Tampa goes, there’s no two ways around it. That man is Wil Myers. Acquired in the James Shields trade with Kansas City, Myers has the potential to be one of the best players in the game. He can hit for average, for power, has a patient approach, and all of that will only improve with more at bats and more maturity. I see a monster season out of him and the start of a tremendous career.

On the pitching side of things Tampa is lucky enough to have the best left handed pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw. David Price is a young, electric top of the rotation guy who knows how to get it done. Joining him is the phenomenal Chris Archer and his socks, Matt Moore, another young lefty who has all the potential in the world, and Alex Cobb who has quietly become one of the most consistent pitchers in either league. In the bullpen the Rays lost Fernando Rodney and his fantastic archery skills but gained a better closer in “THE RAGE” himself, Grant Balfour. The rest of the bullpen is filled with non-household names and guys the average fan couldn’t pick out of a lineup, but Maddon will manage them with perfection and get every ounce out of them that he can.

Boston overall is a better team and will be stiff competition for the Rays, but if Tampa can improve its bench and get enough production out of them they very well could steal the division away from Boston. Either way this is a playoff team and the tradition of winning 90 games will continue.

We will be back on Saturday with two posts taking a look first at the Padres and their possible sleeper potential and the second post will take a look at the Cleveland Indians and their ability to repeat last year’s performance. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

We're a Shell of Our Former Selves in Philadelphia

We’re a Shell of Our Former Selves in Philadelphia

 

 

When I look at the roster for the Philadelphia Phillies, two things come to mind. The first is that Ruben Amaro should be fired. The second being that this team is the old champion race horse that should be taken behind the shed and put out of its misery but its handlers keep running it into the ground because they don’t have that young stallion to take over. The Phillies roster consists of “Baseball Old” talent that has dealt with so many injuries and is washed up beyond the point of being able to contend. 

They had no chance of competing with Atlanta or Washington, and with the changes made in New York and Miami, along with the arrival of prospects at some point in those cities; the Fightin’ Phils could be limping to a last place finish. There are a few young players on the team, namely Dominic Brown, Cody Asche, and Darin Ruf but I personally don’t see these guys turning into anything more than decent bench players. The Phillies have adopted the Yankees formula of sacrificing the future for the present. The Yankees have somewhat learned their lesson, not being so quick to pull the trigger on prospects or tradable assets, and Philly will learn that same lesson this year but for the present, they live with the consequences of that strategy. 

Ryan Howard will be a black hole at first base, Chase Utley can still hit but his footwork and range have suffered, and Jimmy Rollins might have died two seasons ago and the Phillies refuse to tell anyone because there’s a good chance there’s been a corpse playing shortstop. Add to this the Cole Hamels injury this spring and the signing of the most overrated pitcher in all of baseball, A.J. Burnett and you have the makings of No Division for Old Men. Start looking forward to football season Phillies fans because it is most certainly not going to be sunny in Philadelphia this summer.

 

We will be back tomorrow with a look at the Tampa Bay Rays and breakout candidate Wil Myers. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

 

 

YES! YES! YES! The Oakland A’s are the Daniel Bryan of Major League Baseball and They Want Their Moment Too

YES! YES! YES! The Oakland A’s are the Daniel Bryan of Major League Baseball and They Want Their Moment Too

 

 

 

Everybody gets to the point where they get sick and tired of the status quo. Day in and day out the routine and the results never change leaving us to feel like we’re stuck in a rut and co-starring with Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. But then one day, out of nowhere something happens to shake the normalcy to the core and let the world know, “Hey, if you’re sick of what’s happening over there, then do yourself a favor and look over here. You won’t regret it.”

So is the case of both Daniel Bryan and the Oakland Athletics. In the beginning both were looked at as solid, dependable entities, but they could never get over that hump or break through that glass ceiling. Then something funny happened. Despite the thoughts of those in the position of power, both caught on with fans and proved the success to be no fluke. Getting tremendous fan support was the key because it pushed both to another level. However, despite all that fan support neither has been able to completely break through yet but are well on their way.

Standing in the way of Daniel Bryan and his moment is HHH, the talent burying, friend pushing boss. Standing in the A’s way is the Detroit Tigers, and especially Justin Verlander, the flamethrowing most hated man in America(a.k.a. Mr. Kate Upton). He has dominated this team like few other pitchers have dominated competition. They have been held back by these forces long enough and this is the year they break through. Daniel Bryan has the YES! Movement and the Athletics have the Bernie Movement. There is nobody who loves doing what they love more than these guys and it shows in their work. Name the style and these guys will go out, adapt, and put on the best show.

Come Wrestlemania in April Daniel Bryan will achieve his moment and reach the pinnacle of success by being the face of the cash cow corporation that nobody ever thought would allow it, and then come October the Oakland A’s will do the same. Using their ability to adjust to styles and the unparalleled depth both offensively and with their pitching, they will overcome the odds and ride off into the sunset as champions. On Twitter Daniel Bryan and Josh Reddick, a huge wrestling fan, challenged each other to a beard off. Well, soon enough that challenge could become a champion off.

We will be back tomorrow with a look at the going nowhere fast Phillies. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

Success. Firesale. Repeat.

Success. Firesale. Repeat.

 

 

The Miami Marlins since their existence have had a tried and true formula of running the team. They build up prospects and sign free agents, get the most out of them that they can and then trade them to replenish the farm system. The negative of this being that whatever fans they have get attached to these players, seeing them grow and develop or rekindle that spark they once had, and then get their hearts ripped out when they’re forced to leave town.

The Marlins have never met an arbitration clock they didn’t like. So many other teams are hesitant to start the clock on players but the Marlins don’t think twice about it. Easy to do when they’ll never see that free agency period with the player. By letting players walk or trading them they soak their hands in the fans blood and don’t even bother to apologize for it.

This year the seeds are being planted for this to happen once again. There is a lot of young talent on this team that will be showcasing themselves for other clubs. When it comes to pitching the Marlins could very well have the best young staff in all of baseball. Jose Fernandez, Nate Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez, and Jacob Turner are pitchers I would go to battle with. Plus, Andrew Heaney is down in the minors and could be brought up at any point. Steve Cishek is one of the better young closers in the game and will help anchor a bullpen that doesn’t quite match the starters in turns of quality.

Offensively, the Marlins begin and end with Giancarlo Stanton. The man is exactly what God made right fielders to look like and has unmatched pure strength. If he can stay healthy and be a dangerous hitter in the middle of that lineup than this team could surprise some people. Stanton is joined by slick fielding Adeiny Hechavarria, one of the better fielding shortstops in all of baseball, Christian Yelich, who came up last season and showed a lot of promise. I see Yelich having a big year this year and becoming more of a well-known name. The Marlins signed Rafael Furcal to shore up the defense up the middle, Garrett Jones to give them some power from the left side, and also Casey McGeehee who is nothing but a placeholder until Colin Moran is ready. Moran will be a name to watch out for when he does arrive to the show. 

There are plenty of activities in Miami that outrank baseball as far as fans and residents are concerned but this year this could be a great time to get out to Marlins Park and see some good young talent, just don’t get too attached because they probably won’t be around for long.

We will be back tomorrow to do the Bernie Lean with the deepest team in baseball the Oakland A’s. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.

Can the Birds Fly Into the Playoffs?

Can the Birds Fly Into the Playoffs?

 

The Baltimore Orioles in my opinion are the biggest question mark of the 2014 season. They could be a playoff team or they could be terrible. It all will come down to how well their pitchers perform. Their starting rotation will not scare any opposing offenses and none of them throw particularly hard but if they can perform well enough, there’s no telling the success the team will have. The Orioles have a terrific nucleus of young players offensively who can create and drive in runs and they also field the ball extremely well which is a great thing for the pitchers.

Ubaldo Jimenez performed well last year which earned him his new contract in Baltimore, but needing him to be the staff ace and face the lineups of the AL East could prove to be a disaster. He doesn’t throw as hard as he did when he was a Cy Young contender in Colorado, relying more on finesse and off speed stuff. That isn’t something you can get away with often in this division. Dylan Bundy could be just the spark the team needs. He is coming off Tommy John surgery but he is young and needs to show he can live up to the hype surrounding him for the last few years.

There may be no better group of players at premium positions than what the Orioles can throw at you. From Matt Weiters, one of the top catchers in all of baseball, to Crush Davis, Adam Jones, the supremely underrated J.J. Hardy, and most especially Manny Machado. Machado should be ready to go on Opening Day and will continue his path to greatness and one of the best all-around players in baseball. Adding Nelson Cruz to the mix gives them a great left-right combo with Davis, they just need to make sure Cruz never sees the field. Giving him a glove routinely and trotting him out there to play defense will cause the chiropractic business in Baltimore to skyrocket with all the head shaking that would occur. Having him as your everyday DH will do wonders for the lineup and keep the team’s defensive metrics where they should be.

Between the summer weather in Charm City, one of the most beautiful ballparks in the game, and an explosive offense, the Orioles will be a fun team to watch. If you happen to make it out to a game, be sure to stop by Pickles across the street and fall in love with the crab pretzel. It will make the game day experience that much better.

We will be back tomorrow with a look at the young and exciting Miami Marlins. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.